Burning understory
Fire crews burn the understory as part of creating a "black line" along the burn perimiter in the days before the big interior burn.
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"The Game & Fish were one of the drivers of this project" - Paul Hutta, Fire Boss in training.
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Smoke and fog
A sign on Highway 191 warns drivers of the possibility of smoke and fog.
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Water tank
Crews set up a portable water tank for the hoses. Photo courtesy T.J. Hunt.
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Monument Ridge Prescribed Burn
by Dawn Ballou, Pinedale Online!
October 1, 2006
"The fuels are building up on this forest," said Paul Hutta with the Bridger-Teton National Forest. "We are going to see more, bigger fires. The stands are more prone to fire now," Hutta said.
Paul Hutta was the Fire Boss In-Training for the Monument Ridge prescribed burn which took place this past weekend near Bondurant. The fire has been in the planning stages for the past six years. "We don’t always get a burn window every year," said Hutta.
This fall the conditions were right to go forward with burning 975 acres of sagebrush, aspen and conifer stands on Monument Ridge, approximately three miles west of Bondurant on the Big Piney Ranger District.
The purpose of the fire was to reduce the build up of fuels on the ground that could contribute to increasing the intensity of a wildfire in the future. Other goals were to eliminate decadent stands of sagebrush and conifers to allow new growth vegetation that will benefit wildlife species. The burn will also improve forage in the cattle allotment in the area.
"The Wyoming Game and Fish Department were one of the drivers of this project," said Hutta. Over the next several years, more work is planned for the Monument Ridge project area, ultimately treating approximately 4,000 total acres over sevral phases.
The burn was an interagency effort. Approximately 60 people worked on various aspects of the project getting ready for the actual burn.
Crews worked during the summer clearing brush and ladder fuels to prep the interior of the burn area. When the conditions looked favorable this past weekend, the decision was made that the burn was a go.
Forest Service firefighters were joined by Sublette County volunteer firemen and equipment from Bondurant, Daniel, Boulder and Pinedale. The Alpine Hotshots came from Estes Park, Colorado, to assist with this fire. Crews from Grand Teton National Park/Bridger-Teton Natioanl Forest Teton Interagency Fire Management and the Wyoming Game and Fish Department also worked on this fire.
"These prescribed fires give us a chance to put our people in the situation so they know what to expect and how to deal with a real fire," said T.J. Hunt, Sublette County Deputy Fire Warden.
Firefighters who helped out from the Sublette County volunteer fire departments included: T.J. Hunt (Deputy Assistant County Fire Warden-Daniel), Justin Kaan (Boulder), Jerry Johnson (Bondurant), Eric Schneider (Bondurant), Travis Chamberlain (Pinedale), Loren Racich (Daniel, Oakley Engersull (Daniel), Richard Thomas (Bondurant), Larry Otterman (Boulder), Richard Taos (Fire Chief for Bondurant).
After the burn, Fire Boss Paul Hutta had this to say about the overall success of this prescribed fire, "Overall it was a real successful burn. We got a good mosaic in the sage and grass and reduced the dead and down fuel in the conifer stands, which helped us to meet our hazardous fuels reduction objective as well."
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Editor's Note: We want to pass along this comment that came from T.J. Hunt, the Sublette County Deputy Fire Warden, commenting on the efforts of the many volunteers who volunteer their time to be on our rural fire departments, and go out on calls on a moment's notice. "We had a big season this year," said Hunt. "We have 110 volunteer firefighters in Sublette County. We pretty much do mostly wildland fire suppression, and we're always looking for help. I want to give special kudos to Ben Franklin with the Daniel Volunteer Fire Department for completing his Strike Team Leader training and to the new Kendall Valley Volunteer Fire Department for the work they did on the Battle Mountain fire this summer. All those guys have done an excellent job."
Photos by Clint Gilchrist and Dawn Ballou-Pinedale Online. US Forest Service, and Paul Ellwood-Bondurant resident.
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